In
the first presidential election after the Watergate crisis and Richard
Nixon's resignation, trust in government was the great issue. Early
on, Jimmy Carter established himself as an outsider, appearing in
ads wearing a work shirt on his Georgia peanut farm. "You know, everybody
from Congress that's running for president is a lawyer..." he drawled.

Gerald
Ford had been in Congress for years before serving as Nixon's vice-president
after Spiro Agnew's resignation. While Ford was not involved in the
Watergate scandal, his decision to pardon Nixon after succeeding him
in office left a bitter association with many voters. Ford's ad campaign
portrayed him as a decent man who had restored honor to the nation's
highest office. His "Feeling Good About America" theme sought to reestablish
good feelings between the presidency and the people. While he made
up a lot of ground as the voting day neared, Ford lost the election.